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Hi and welcome to our first-ever discussion of the new “Solve the Internet” crossword, which you can find at Motherboard (new puzzles every week). Today’s conversation is between me (REXPARKER) and Ben Smith (B-Side). Enjoy.

Today’s puzzle: “Solve the Initials” by Caleb Madison

B-Side Hi Rex!

REXPARKER Holy crap what is happening?

B-Side IRC Chat.

B-Side As long as we’re solving the internet, I figured we could go old school as far as the internet goes

B-Side Also this was the first thing that popped up when I searched for an in-browser chat client

REXPARKER Is this the Matrix?

B-Side Probably a little closer to AOL chat? So, basically.

REXPARKER Perfect

REXPARKER It’s so old-looking, I love it

B-Side That was partially why I chose this 1

REXPARKER I have printed out the “Solve The Internet” puzzle because F— the Internet (their web interface is not bad tbh, tho the bar is low)

B-Side I have a bunch of them open in tabs.

B-Side I was able to go through and solve the archive while waiting for this to get fully set up and for you to join

REXPARKER Wait, are we going back in time, because I’ve only solved today’s (though I did the first couple, whenever it launched)

B-Side I wasn’t sure how many we were going to cover, but today’s is a really good example about why I’ve mostly been hatesolving these

REXPARKER Good, let’s stick to today’s, though feel free to reach back for whatever you need. I’ll just nod knowingly.

B-Side I am assuming that I am the target audience for these (millennial, reads sites like Motherboard) and I do not like these puzzles

B-Side I am! And yet the tone in the cluing rubs me entirely the wrong way for the most part.

REXPARKER Yeah, the whole “Not Your Grandma’s Xword!” vibe of the kickoff was like … “who do you think can even appreciate exactly what you are trying to do here Except people who solve ‘normal’ xwords”?

B-Side It’s a combo of trying really hard to make every clue feel some variety of “contemporary”, and Vice’s whole “wow we’re so edgy lol” thing

B-Side and the end result often feels *very Steve Buscemi In 30 Rock voice* Hello Fellow Teens

B-Side The main way it seems to be “disrupting” the standard crossword is using a smaller size

B-Side which I think is the closest this has come to a standard theme puzzle

REXPARKER Oh yeah. That was a better puzzle, in my memory

B-Side (which is fine: I love themelesses and we need more of them at all levels)B-Side This grid seems entirely constructed around putting ZERO FUCKS in a puzzle.

B-Side which, fine, but it also felt very “this isn’t your GRANDMA’s crossword!” *does donuts with a dirtbike*

REXPARKER The longer answers here are just fine (SOULCYCLE, AFTER PROM, BEER BONGS). But then they poured three-letter dreck all over them. It’s like beautiful, fresh greens smothered by a half gallon of ranch dressing.

B-Side I like that analogy

B-Side SOULCYCLE is great fill! Stop ruining it with a bunch of garbage!

REXPARKER This whole endeavor feels like [the band] fun., i.e. they are telling me they are young, and I’m like You are aging and sad (join the club)

REXPARKER Again, superdown for the innovation, supernotdown for the skateboarding / record scratch / allaround Poochiness of it all!

REXPARKER (Kids, look up Poochie, I am 48)

B-Side Every time I solve one of these it makes me crochety (which, I am already The Internet’s Oldest Thirty Year Old, but I’m _trying_ to stay with it)

B-Side It’s very Poochie.

REXPARKER I got confused with the cluing a bit. Like, I couldn’t tell what part of speech [The last time we’re ever going to party with each other before we all leave for college!! I’m going to miss you guys so much. Let’s stay friends forever.] was asking for

REXPARKER Technically, everything after “college” in that clue is bs

B-Side I am fine with longer clues, especially when they’re trying to have fun with the material, but a lot of these just feel long for the sake of long

B-Side a very corporate sort of “edginess” that rings fake

REXPARKER CORPORATE EDGINESS

REXPARKER THINK DIFFERENT

REXPARKER Long clues, fine. But do not leave me hanging, clarity-wise, on part of speech. I feel like the teacher who’s like “grammar actually matters, kids” and then there are spitballs and texting and I quit my job. Something like that.

B-Side So often these long clues aren’t adding anything

B-Side for example:

B-Side “Where no one should go to outbid me on an original 1976 Bee Gees promotional Children of the World glass mirror” for EBAY